Hello All I Exported seven Toolpaths that I had generated on a previous part so that I could use them on an ensuing similar part.(Right Click in Operations Manager then use Export) What used to happen was the Entire Toolpath was exported without the Geometry, then one could simply apply the toolpath to any other geometry by using the Import function in the Operations Manager. What happened this time was that during the Export 3 of the Tool Numbers, Length & Diameter offsets had been changed - one Tool that had been picked was changed to a High Speed Tool I had in my own personally created Tool Library. Has anyone else had this happen to them? I use Import/Export quite often - having to check all of my Imported Tool Paths sort of defeats the benefits of using the Utility. Thanks Ron

Howdy, Yes, the backplot crash has happened many times...especially when I'm zoomed in to watch something critical.

Hello All, I am currently running Mcam Lathe X2 R1 and I have encountered a weird phenomena. After creating a part-off toolpath I had to cut down the 1" square stock into a round so my bar puller could grab it. But the roughing toolpath has a dialog box which pops up and tells me that "the rapid move violates the tool clearance boundary". I know that the part will have been parted off so I choose "ignore warning" so that generates a "tool collision" dialog box. But when I hit "yes" to make the box disappear my line geometry which is behind the dialog box is gone! Not hidden, but gone - I've checked with the screen statistics. But my toolpath is still valid and I am able to regenerate it

Hey John, I apologise for my outburst - it was at the end of a long, frustrating day. I don't want you to think I don't appreciate your help. Actually three months ago we were so busy that I deleted the update and reverted to the original MCAM X so I could continue with the job - so I didn't return to check the posts. Then my reseller sent me MR1 and I loaded it thinking the bugs were fixed. They were not, so I went back to the Forum and ended up following other links which were supplied and felt like I was chasing my tail....and my forum post was born. Anyway, I'll try to edit my post tomorrow when I get to work. Thanks Guys, Ron

Hello All, I think this is a familiar problem - after updating to MR1 all of my drilling code has been adversely affected. I have seen this posted a few times, but other than people recommending looking at my upload.log, nothing has helped solve the problem. What can I do to correct the drilling errors other than to go back to pre-MR1? This is what it looks like: % O8888 N100G99G81X-.769Y.1083Z-.125R.1F5.76 N110X-.6011Y.2491 N120X-.3737Y.2599 N130X-.2329Y.1354 N140X-.1137Y-.0271 N150X-.0487Y-.1462 N160X.287Y-.1949 N170X.3953Y-.0975 N180X.4928Y.065 N190X.5361Y.2491 N200X.704Y.2924 N210X.8502Y.2004 N220X.9423Y-.0162 N230Y-.1083 N240X1.0181Y-.3141 N250X1.1805Y-.1949 N260X1.083Y.3249 N270X.8664Y.5469 N280X.3195Y.796 N290X-.1246Y.8827 N300X-.4332 N310X-.7798Y.6715 N320X-.9043Y.417 N330X-.9802Y.2924 N340X-.8935Y-.2383 N350X-.8069Y-.3466 N360X-.6228Y-.4765 N370X-.3412Y-.5794 N380X.2383Y-.6607 N390X.5415Y-.7365 N400X.7419Y-.6932 N410X.9098Y-.639 N420G80 (PROGRAM NAME - MACHINE_GROUP_1) (DATE=DD-MM-YY - 06-03-06 TIME=HH:MM - 16:04) (X & Y ZERO: ) (Z ZERO: ) (COMMENTS: ) (UNPROVEN PROGRAMS - INITIALS: ) ( ) ( ) (1/8 DRILL TOOL - 2 DIA. OFF. - 42 LEN. - 2 DIA. - .125) N430G20 N440G0G40G49G80G90 N450G91G28Z0. N460G28X0.Y0. N470G54 N480T2M6 N490G0G90X.9098Y-.639S4000M3 N500G43H2Z.1 N510M5 N520G91G28Z0. N530G28X0.Y0. N540M30 % Before the "UPGRADE" it was posting just fine. HELP!! Thanks, Ron

Hello All, After installing the update I started having problems with drilling cycles. Now I am screwed. I have re-installed Mcamx 3 times now. It has gotten to the point that I cannot even open mastercam from the desktop - and my reseller has been informing what to do all the way! AHHHHH Ron

Yes, I had the same problem with the backplot. We just purchased new computers last week - nicely beefed up I'm happy to say - so I don't think it's the computer. Gcode, you referred to the MR1beta - does this mean that this will be fixed in the next service pack?

Hello All, I was wondering if anyone else is having problems selecting the folders in the Operations Manager in Mcam X. Sometimes I have to click on the folder 2-3 times before it becomes active. It is even worse if I am trying to select several folders (out of many) at once. Is there a fix or is it just me? I have updated all my patches as well. Thanks, Ron

Hello All, We had the same problem with our Puma Lathe. The ladder (basically it's brain) became corrupted and it decided to do a tool change whenever it felt like it - the last time was during a threading operation. It was pure carnage! Talk to your control manufacturer first. But you will probably have to re-install your master diskette/tape/cd from the original set up of the machine. The tape/casette "should be" in your control panel. We had to replace the PLC Cassette and it had a clean ladder burned on it. Hope this helps. Ron

Thank You for your Help. I am currently setting up another job so I won't be able to tackle my problem immediately. I will try things out this afternoon and I will let you all know if I've been able to move forward. Ron P.S. Phil, Are you a fly fishing nut as I am or do you only manufacture the reels? I used to live on the Queen Charlotte Islands where the fishing was incredible!

Hello All, I am currently trying to cut an external helix on a bar of torlon. I decided to use the threading option on Lathe 9.1 and have run into problems. I have created a custom tool with the appropriate radius to cut the helix. But as soon as I type in the pitch of 0.53333 the backplot and verify both display only a single groove has been cut!? I wondered if it was possible that the graphic display just couldn't handle the large helix. So I posted the thread toolpath with a pitch of .53333, then I changed the pitch to 1.5 tpi and posted that toolpath. The main difference between the two toolpaths (besides the Feedrates) was the start points they differed by 2.69"! Any ideas? Thanks, Ron

Hello All, I have just used the STOCK FLIP function in Lathe 9.1 and have had an unusual problem. After flipping I tried to face the part with a tool I had used earlier in the original position (Pre-Flip). The original tool information had : Tool# = 2 Station# = 2 Offset# = 2 But after the flip the same tool info was: Tool# = 0 Station# = 2 Offset# =0 If I changed the 0's back to 2's the tool crashed during tool path generation. But if I left the Tool# & Offset# as 0 the facing operation worked fine(?) Any ideas? Thanks Ron

Howdy All, My contract is up at the end of the month and I was wondering if it is possible to make a living programming from home? If so, how do charge the customer - an hourly rate or on the entire job? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Ron Roy

Yes it stayed at the front. I drew the tool in the orientation that I required (Vertical) and it was scanned just as I wanted. Ron

Thank You gcode!!! I did as you directed and it almost worked - but I figured out that my ground holder geometry was giving MCAM fits. So I altered my holder and Voila I had a back cutting tool that works like a Charm! Thanks again, by the way aren't you up a little early? Ron

Good Morning All, Can anyone give me some hints on creating custom lathe tools. I went to the ftp site and downloaded the micro boring bar .MC8 file and I was able to import it without any problems. Now the fun part. I then modified the tool because I have to do some back cutting in a bore. Whenever I "Draw Tool" in the custom tool options it always represents the tool cutting to the "left". Even when I mirror the tool in the MC8 file and/or change the insert colour to 14 or 55, the tool always is represented in the same orientation!!!??? Unfortunately I have spent a little (lot) more time than I should on trying to flip the darn tool so it can back cut. Any ideas? Merry Christmas, Ron

Thanks guys, I turned my computer off and removed the Solid Edge hasp from my computer and VOILA! It is working fine again. I'll have to contact Solid Edge and ask them what is going on. Have a Good One, Ron

Hello All, I was regenerating a toolpath this morning after I made some modifications and I received this mesage: Debug:Get components from DB0 Boundry end points not connected. Temperary file created c:/...... It won't even prompt me to save when I exit after these errors occur. I loaded Solid Edge this morning could this be the problem? NOTE: I have their hasp in series with the MCAM HASP. I then ran the maintenance (repair) program from the cd rom and downloded and installed the latest patch from the web site. Uninstalled Solid Edge and tried to change the toolpath and it worked until I regenerated the entire tool path then I received the same error - I left the HASPs connected together. Help! I'm in the middle of a deadline! Thanks, Ron

Thanks for the site. I'm afraid I need the white stuff for a "proper" Christmas Have a Good One, Ron

Good Morning Gentlemen, Yes Andy I am using two tools - a left hand & a right hand tool. They cut each side of the internal dove tail - it's for a special ORing. Thanks Gcode I'll give it a try - if I can get it to work I can keep a library of tooling that I can use and modify. Just to satisfy my curiosity what's the weather like over in your neck of the woods. Up here its a balmy 5 degrees celcius (about 40 far.). I'm saying balmy because last year at this time it was -24 degrees! Take care, Ron P.S. How do you get onto the FTP Site? [ 12-11-2001: Message edited by: Ron_Roy ]

Hi Andy, Sorry about the delay in responding, I was at a Solid Edge seminar last week. If you are looking at the groove face on (so to speak) the undercut on the left uses the normal "front" cutting in the plunge parameters. Whenever I program the undercut on the right I have to program it to "start cut on tool back corner" in the plunge parameters - even though it is cutting in the front of the custom tool. This is kind of hard to explain in a written format. If you look in the parameters section of the lathe tool set up you will see 4 choices in the "compensation" area. This as the area I was speaking of earlier, I don't think there is a way to tell Mcam which edge of the tool I want to be the business end. I hope I havn't muddied the waters by trying to clarify it a little more. Thanks for the help though, Ron

Hello All, I am cutting an O-Ring on the ID of a part and it will resemble a glorified dove tail when finished. It requires that I undercut a groove on the left and the right with form tools. I have two form tools which are mirrored - a left hand tool which undercuts the left side of the groove and a right cutting tool which obviously will cut the other side of the groove. Now the question. Is it possible to have the tool compensation mirrored, (lathe tools - parameters - compensation) so that when I cut the compensation will come from the "front" of each tool instead of the front of one tool and the rear of another? Thanks, Ron

Thanks Dave, I'll check it out. Ron

Hey Guys, I'm learning Lathe as we try to meet a very tight deadline! I must say that Lathe 8.1.1 is great, especially when compared to the MC7. 1st operation on one end of the part is programmed and it is now machined. What I'd like to know is if it possible to keep the geometry/stock/tooling intact and machine the opposite end of the part. Or do I have to redo everything when I copy the file and rename it? Thanks, Ron Are there any flyfishers out there?

Thanks Glenn, I'll give it a bunt. Ron